Page 64 of Golden Rule

“Relax. I’ll start the dishes,” I say, rubbing her back as I pass by.

“No, I don’t mind helping. Seriously. You did enough tonight. Dinner was awesome.”

There’s no time to stop her, because she’s already halfway to the sink, pushing both sleeves to her elbows. We stand side-by-side, me washing while she rinses and dries.

“I’m actually glad it’s just us for a bit,” she says. “I’ve been meaning to get your thoughts on something.”

I glance over to find a pensive look on her face. “What is it?”

“We… just got word that my sister’s getting released soon.”

Those words hit me hard. The entirety of my friendship with Lexi, her sister has been in prison. Our siblings being on lockdown was actually one of the things that bonded us back in high school.

“Whoa. How are you feeling about it?”

She shrugs, and I don’t blame her for not having an immediate answer. That transition comes with a lot of emotions to process.

“I’m excited she’ll be free and safe, excited she’ll be around, but… it’s the part about her wanting to come live with me and Jax that has me on the fence.”

I didn’t see that coming, so I scramble for something productive to say, but all I come up with is “…Oh.”

She laughs. “Exactly.”

I didn’t mean to feed into whatever doubts she might have, but it’s just been her and Jax since he was born.

“Are you considering it?”

She shrugs. “Kind of feels like I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place, ya know? On the one hand, I love having my own space, love that Jax and I can be ourselves there, love that we have a routine that works for us. But on the other hand, I know Amelia needs me. Mom and Benny aren’t open to her staying there. She put a lot of strain on their relationship before her arrest. Guess they’re just not willing to take a chance on her.”

Which means that responsibility will either fall on Lex, or she’ll have to live with the guilt of seeing her sister go into a reentry center until she gets back on her feet. I don’t envy this decision. It would’ve been a no-brainer to open my home to Hunter, but with Lexi’s sister’s history of alcoholism, there’s got to be a ton of anxiety around saying yes. And as someone who grew up with an alcoholic father, I don’t think I’d even consider it.

“Recovered or not,familyor not… I’m not sure I want that kind of energy around my son.”

I can sense the sadness in her voice, see the tension on her face.

“And you have every right to feel that way, Lex.”

She nods, and I don’t realize she’s crying until she swipes a tear away with her shoulder.

“Yeah, but… she’s my sister. I can’t just leave her out there to fend for herself. She has issues, yeah, but a lot of that shit came from how fucked up things were when we were kids, our dad not being around. I just don’t know what the hell I’m supposed to do.”

When she breaks down completely, I dry my hands and pull her toward me, bringing her into a hug.

“She’s your sister, but your only obligation is to your son. So, whatever you decide, I support your decision.”

She nods, sniffling again. “Thanks.”

“You know I’ve got you.” I rub her back again, squeezing tighter. “Have you… maybe mentioned it to Sterling?”

While it’s definitely her house, and I don’t want to add to her stress about it, my guess is that Sterling would probably like to have some say in his son’s living arrangements.

She shakes her head, but before she’s able to speak…

“Did she mentionwhatto Sterling?”

Speak of the devil…

When Lexi pulls away, her eyes land right on Sterling’s intense green stare. Like West, he takes up a lot of space in any room he enters, and I don’t just mean because of their height and formidable build. It’s just something about their presence. So, I imagine it’s a bit intimidating for Lexi when he folds both arms across his chest, tension spreading through his broad shoulders.

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